Orissa CM’s grievance cell defunct since 2008

The Indian Express too has sent an RTI application regarding Naveen Patnaik’s grievance cell functioning since last 11 years,but the PGPA department is yet to respond.

The statistics showed that the Grievance Cell functioned erratically. In 2001,there were 20 meetings in which 11669 people filed their grievances. The next year,only 2510 people filed their grievances in 13 meetings. In 2004,it dropped to 1053 persons in 9 meetings. In whole of 2004,only 315 people filed their grievanes in 2 meetings. In 2005,four meetings took place in which 502 people filed their grievance. In 2006,only one meetings took place and 76 people aired their grievance. In 2008 when the last grievance cell last functioned,there were 12 meetings in which 2226 people filed their grievance applications.

However,additional secretary in CM’s officer,Dilip Mohanty said the CM Grievance Cell was functioning. But he could not give the number of people who have come to the cell in 2009,2010 and this year. “People are sending their grievances over e-mail,” he said.

In 2000 the CM Grievance Cell started functioning from the official residence of CM after it was spruced up and staff posted to hear the woes of the hapless people coming for redressal. Insiders in CMO conceded that nobody took the Grievance Cell seriously even when it was launched. “When the Cell fowarded the grievances to the district collectors,they hardly acted upon. There was also lack of follow-up from our side,” the official said.

Mohanty of TI India said he was surpised that the number of complaints dropped sharply by 96 % during a period of 8 years.

“This can be due to “Either the state has truly made enormous strides in good governance and people do not have grievances,or people are not aware of the functioning of the cell. The second reason would appear plausible as it is common knowledge that the common man,including tribals and the impoverished farmers,are suffering heavily in the state due to a corrupt and apathetic administration,” he said.

Mohanty who wrote a letter to Naveen Patnaik today requested him to activate the Chief Minister’s Greviance Cell and listen to the public of Orissa every month and also hold District Level Greviance Cell meetings “The chief minister’s grievance cell is an important avenue for people to convey their grievances. The poor,distressed and downtrodden people have little knowledge to identify and approach other appropriate forums,” he said.